Banding Together

When Sheffield’s Brookside High School Marching Band accepted a job to appear in a national TV commercial for Subway restaurants

alongside Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, members had no idea that most of the drama would take placebefore cameras rolled.

Casting director Rick Mason found the 77-member band through a YouTube video. However, just days before the shoot, “the producer worried he’d have a mob of unruly kids on set,” says Mason, “so he said he only wanted half the band.”

When Brookside’s band director, Dale Hildebrand, heard about the change the night before the shoot, he had two words about the potential exclusion: “No deal.”

The producer quickly reconsidered.

On set the next day, the musicians completely exceeded expectations.

“They were in formation five minutes after stepping off the bus, and remained that disciplined during the entire nine-hour shoot,” says Mason. “The director fell in love with the band, and decided to put them in every shot.”

Senior trombonist Carolyn LaValey says the band still talks about the experience.

“Being able to show people that a bunch of kids from [Sheffield and] Sheffield Lake can show integrity and really get the job done is something that will always be a source of pride.”